The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for facilitating the treatment of patients with respiratory ailments or who need breathing assistance in the course of other medical treatment, and more specifically to an improved respiratory facemask for more securely retaining an endotracheal or laryngeal tube (hereinafter “endotracheal tube”) in the patient's mouth.
In conventional respiratory therapy applications, tape is often used to secure the endotracheal tube in place. The use of tape in such applications has several drawbacks. For example, tape loses adhesion when patients perspire and/or have facial hair growth, or on patients with facial burns. In addition, tape is not recommended for use on elderly patients since the tape could remove the facial skin upon tape removal.
To reduce the use of tape in such applications, facemasks have been developed which are strapped to the patient's head and provide a relatively stable platform for mounting the endotracheal tube in place. Exemplary prior art facemasks are disclosed in facemask U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,345,931 and 4,744,358, which are incorporated by reference. One drawback of the prior art products is that the endotracheal tube still became loose over time, as medical technicians perform routine monitoring and sanitation tasks in administering to the patient. As such, medical technicians still resort to the use of tape to better secure the treatment tube in place, even when a facemask is used. Another drawback is the relatively high manufacturing cost of the prior art products.